Pacifica TROUBLE!!!! Front end and no heat!
 

I traded in a perfectly great 02 Dodge Grand Caravan for this piece of crap. I was thinking "look here a car,minivan,and suv all in one!" Ya right....They only thing this car has going for itself is the look,DVD player, and leather!....First problem 3 weeks after I bought the car, I was driving down a main street 35 mph and the rear Control Arm Snapped and sent my car off into another lane....was almost impossible to stop the vehicle. If anyone has had a tie rod snap in the front end, where one tire goes one way and the other goes the other way.....It was just like that but in the rear, my back tire was turned out, now how does that happen to a fairly brand new car? My daughter was with me at the time too!
Its a sled in the snow and rain (I thought thats why I bought a AWD CAR!) I have had front end problems since the day I bought it (USED APRIL 2, 2005) It was in the shop 10 times just for that.....one of the times it was in the shop for my front end problem, they forgot to tighten a MAJOR BOLT that holds the frame to the car.....so when I took a 2 hour trip to NH The bolt fell out of the bottom of the car, and dragged me to a stop (thank god i was just leaving a gas station so i was only going 5 mph, but i had my 2 children in the car and I was just going 75 mph 10 min before that on the highway, so god was on our side that day!)2 times for my sunroof leaking and rain was pooring in both sides of the car (above each door where the crash handles are and the fabric).....1 time for my 3rd row window leaking......5 times for the trany, which is still not fixed! 1 time for a service engine light that I guess was on for no aparent reason. And last but not least, im sure, I was 1000 miles over my factory warrenty and the blower motor switch went, SO I HAD NO HEAT AT ALL FOR A WEEK IN 10 DEGREE WEATHER! I had to pay $100/deductable for a switch that cost $50, and took 60 secs to put in, because the dealer charges a minium 1 hour labor ($73.60) So If anyone looses heat (no air coming out at all) thats what it is! This car is a waste of my time and $. Its in the shop more than I drive it! If I ever get the chance and the money....this car will be gone ASAP!!!! Might go back to my Grand Caravan!

RE: Pacifica TROUBLE!!!! Front end and no heat!
 

Oh yes the all might Pacifica. My buddy on dodge forums had one, Nickoman01. His transmission had faulty wiring and on his way home from our high school, the one wiring harness that goes to the trans shorted out and caught on fire. His handled fair in the snow... better than my S10. How many miles do you have on the car? All sun roofs will leak at one point. Was it factory equppied or did the dealer install it after it was purchased? Dealers half ass almost everything. The blower motor switch is a common problem with ALL their cars. They also have bad blower motor resistor coil packs. They mount them right where all the moisture in the car sits. I would get a car fax on that car because it seems like it's been in an accident. The cradle bolt that fell out... that was prolly not torqued down to spec and it prolly didn't have thread lock on it. Next time myour check engine light comes on, http://www.carmd.com/Order/BuyNow.as...20registration
This will allow you to see what codes come up and see if it's a dealer problem fixer or if you can do it yourself. They'll charge you $85 just to tell you what that light says.

RE: Pacifica TROUBLE!!!! Front end and no heat!
 

Haha, oh ya the mighty crapy pacifica, I had the trany line clamps replaced one to many times, that was their way in fixing the leak, but doesnt fix the banging it gives me shifting gears....but hey im just a girl what do i know.....even though i work on cars.....they dont take me seriously.Even as much trouble this car hasgiven me, I still love my car! Its what I havealways wanted, I baby this thing, I dont beat on it in anyway to have the problemsI have.
My car will slide into anything as soon as you give it gas (in the snow) i think its cause the AWD isnt like 4WD, i thinks its a completly different thing.....I know have 37,400 miles on the car, It was a factory power sunroof. The bolt thing, I know they didnt tighten it per spec, they are all young punks that work there. They will do anything to just get it out of the shop as quick as possible, it was only 2-3 days later that it fell out.... Man did they get reemed a new butt! I was so ANGRY[:@]! my whole family could have died because of something that should have been double checked.
I def will get the carfax report, now im just curious what this person before me did to this thing!

RE: Pacifica TROUBLE!!!! Front end and no heat!
 

What do you consider young lol... I'm 20 and I'm a part time certified mechanic at Mel's Auto Clinic and I'm a full time student getting a Mechanical Engineering degree. I double check my work and I make sure I do a good job. I have high respect for girls who work on cars.

RE: Pacifica TROUBLE!!!! Front end and no heat!
 

something does not make sence to me. U said that u had to have a blower motor resistor replaed right?? thats the switch u are talking about and u had to pay 100 deductable for what??? the only thing i know that u pay 100 bucks for would be a chrysler service contract which that be all u pay unles something is not covered by the contract. If u can clear that up for me that would be great . I know its the norm to charge a checkout charge incase it not a covered item bt if it is then u only pay a deductable and the rest is covered by chrysler. ok Now to the actual probs of the car what sorta issues in as much detail as possable because i cant see the car or mess with it i can only give an educated idea on whats going on. And i hate to say this as well but 74 bucks an hour is real cheap for a dealer I work in ATL and we charge 95 and in the rural area it 85 and up. I think i have a low end dealer like u said a bunch of kids.
let me know
Kevin

RE: Pacifica TROUBLE!!!! Front end and no heat!
 

Kevin!
Ya thats the part they replaced, I had to pay a $100 deductable for that to be replaced, I have Autoguard as my extended warrenty. So I have to pay the first $100 and autogaurd pays the rest....which in this case they only had to pay $36. Which I think is a joke. In this case they did cover the part and labor, but i have to pay the deductable. now it said on the invoice that it was a defective unit, shouldnt chrysler cover there factory defective parts?
On with the problems, I have had my trany banging through gears when i drive, The front leftsidewas making banging noises like crazy anytime i would make a turn while driving, and in reverse pulling out of my driveway. they have tighten justbolts on 2 different service visits,telling me thats all it was, and one time they replaced the tie rod, and thentheyreplaced the PTU (power transfer unit) 2 different times (that would be when the big bolt fell out 2 days later, which i stated in the previous post) So i had enough, my husband told them he wants the cv shaft replaced on that side. So far so good, no problems as of yet. but only time will tell.
I just seen my friends invoice for labor at KIA, and hers was $95 so yes, now i know that i am paying a cheap price. My dealership i believe is a good one,they are a 5star dealer, andthey are ranked 2nd in the top 30 chrysler/jeepdealers in massachusetts. If you want to check them out they are at http://kellyauto1.reachlocal.net/heart.php?setmajor=6
They are at least better then the dealer that i bought it at.....they were so rude, and the service manager was swearing at me when my control arm snapped 3 weeks after i bought the car.....they dont care about their customers at all.....maybe thats why they are # 25 on that list i was talking about before. let me know what you think Kevin!
Kelly

RE: Pacifica TROUBLE!!!! Front end and no heat!
 

wellall i can say about the aftermarket warranty is that is how they work u pay 100 then they pick up the rest. Even chrysler does that the extended warranty u pay 100 or 50 which ever u have payed for and chrysler pickes up the rest via parts and labor. I will say some times it is better not to worry about the aftermarket if u know its going to be a low end repair. Even at 74 and hour and a part that is 80 to 100 bucks u still payed less then doing it yourself. Now with the defective part issue u have a 3 36 ourside of 3 years or 36k miles u are on your own. Plus being a second owner most of the time u are on your own. Hmm about the other issues are u still having any? let me know

RE: Pacifica TROUBLE!!!! Front end and no heat!
 

If I were you I'd write Chrysler about the dealer and never go back to that dealer again. It sounds like they were milking you and the car for money.

My FWD 04 Pacifica has been fine for 52k plus miles. I tend to avoid AWD in any brand of car. I had one in another brand. One was enough.

RE: Pacifica TROUBLE!!!! Front end and no heat!
 

Chrysler Tech, I'd find out what dealer is messing with this lady. If this story is true that dealer needs to be eliminated before they damage your brand any more.

RE: Pacifica TROUBLE!!!! Front end and no heat!
 

i cant do that it up to the cust to do such things